Drying, Storage and Osmotic Conditioning of <i>Psidium guineense</i> Swartz Seeds

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance of Psidium guineense Swartz seeds to air-dry storage and priming. Desiccation tolerance was analyzed for seed moisture content of 15%, 10% and 5%. The longevity of seeds during storage was analyzed in seeds with 5% and 10% moisture content maintained in cold and dry chamber (16 ° C ± 1 ° C/40 % RH), laboratory environment (25 ° C ± 2 ° C/60% RH), refrigerator (5 ° C ± 1 ° C) and freezer ( - 1 8 ° C ± 1 ° C) during 90 days, and the priming effect in seeds that were imbibed for 5 or 10 days in polyethylene glycol 6000 at osmotic potentials of - 0.3 MPa, - 0.5 MPa, - 0.7 MPa and - 1.3 MPa. The quality of seeds was evaluated after desiccation, storage, and priming by the seeds germination, fresh weight of seedlings, seedlings growth, and germination medium time. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications of 25 seeds each one. Although a reduction in seed germination and seedling growth was observed in seeds with 10% and 5% moisture content, drying did not cause complete loss of seed germination and seedling development. Sour guava seeds exhibited an orthodox response to desiccation tolerance and storage. Seed germination and seedling growth were reduced with increased osmotic potential of osmoconditioning. However, conditioning of 10 days increased the seeds germination and optimized the average germination time to 20 days. The seeds of Psidium guineense are able to tolerate desiccation and storage for up to 90 days at a temperature of 5 ° C ± 1 ° C and priming for 10 days is a promising technique for propagation of P. guineense .